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Usage and Grammar

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you choose between an adjective and an adverb on the ACT, and how do you form comparatives and superlatives correctly?

Adjectives, adverbs, and comparisons on ACT English: using adjectives to describe nouns and adverbs to describe verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs (good versus well), and forming comparatives (for two) and superlatives (for three or more) without doubling, such as more taller.
A focused answer to adjectives, adverbs, and comparisons on ACT English: using adjectives for nouns and adverbs for verbs and adjectives (good versus well, real versus really), and forming comparatives for two things and superlatives for three or more without doubling, with a routine for the underlined modifier.
9 min answer →

How do you choose correctly among the commonly confused word pairs the ACT tests, such as their/there/they're, your/you're, and affect/effect?

Commonly confused words on ACT English: distinguishing homophone and near-homophone pairs (their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, then/than, affect/effect, fewer/less, who's/whose) by meaning and part of speech, and choosing the spelling that fits the sentence.
A focused answer to commonly confused words on ACT English: telling apart homophone and near-homophone pairs (their/there/they're, your/you're, its/it's, then/than, affect/effect, fewer/less) by meaning and part of speech, with quick tests and a routine for choosing the right word in an underlined portion.
9 min answer →

How do you make a pronoun agree with its antecedent and refer to it clearly on the ACT, and how do you fix a vague or ambiguous pronoun?

Pronoun agreement and reference on ACT English: matching a pronoun to its antecedent in number (singular antecedents, including indefinite pronouns, take singular pronouns), and fixing unclear reference where a pronoun has no clear antecedent or could point to more than one noun.
A focused answer to pronoun agreement and reference on ACT English: matching a pronoun to its antecedent in number, treating indefinite pronouns and collective nouns correctly, and fixing vague or ambiguous reference where a pronoun has no clear or single antecedent, with a routine for the underlined pronoun.
9 min answer →

How do you choose between subject and object pronouns on the ACT (I or me, who or whom), and how do you handle the tricky cases of compounds, comparisons, and who versus whom?

Pronoun case on ACT English: choosing the subject case (I, he, she, we, they, who) for subjects and the object case (me, him, her, us, them, whom) for objects, and handling the test's favorite cases (compounds like 'my friend and I/me', comparisons with than, and who versus whom).
A focused answer to pronoun case on ACT English: using subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they, who) for subjects and object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them, whom) for objects, and the tricky cases of compound subjects and objects, comparisons with than or as, and who versus whom, with a drop-the-other-noun test.
9 min answer →

How do you make a verb agree with its true subject on the ACT, especially when words come between them or the subject is tricky?

Subject-verb agreement on ACT English: matching a verb to its true subject in number, ignoring prepositional phrases and other words between subject and verb, and handling tricky subjects (indefinite pronouns, compound subjects, collective nouns, and inverted there-is and here-are structures).
A focused answer to subject-verb agreement on ACT English: finding the true subject and matching the verb in number, ignoring phrases that come between them, and handling indefinite pronouns, compound subjects, collective nouns, and inverted there-is structures, with a routine for the underlined verb.
9 min answer →

How do you choose the correct verb form on the ACT, including irregular past forms, perfect tenses with had and have, and would-have versus would-of?

Verb forms and tense on ACT English: using the correct principal parts of irregular verbs (go, went, gone), forming the perfect tenses with has, have, and had plus a past participle, and avoiding common form errors such as would of for would have and the wrong participle after a helping verb.
A focused answer to verb forms on ACT English: the principal parts of irregular verbs, forming the perfect tenses with has, have, and had plus a past participle, the past perfect for an earlier past action, and common errors like would of for would have, with a routine for choosing the right form.
9 min answer →